Unforgettable 2
by orenashii
Summary: Short drabbles for Jashi Week 2018!
1. Day One: Anniversary

Jashi Week 2018

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Day One

 _Anniversary_

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Summary: Jack and Ashi get their first moment alone since returning to Jack's home.

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Stars painted the sky in brilliance. The wind gently whistled. The scent of the air was heavy with burgeoning rain. It did not smell like gloom as rain sometimes can. It smelled like spring. Like the flowers were ready to burst at their seams in bloom. Like the sun was begging to rise, though it was still late in the night, to spill warmth unto the earth.

It smelled like peace.

And after the days now fresh behind them, both the returning prince and former assassin deserved nothing but.

Aku had only been dead for hours. Jack had reunited with his loved ones. The kingdom breathed an enormous sigh of relief that the nightmare was finally over. Actions were taken quickly. To rebuild. To transform back into the thriving glory it once was.

But these were tiring efforts. And as the moon hung high in the sky, Jack and Ashi departed from their duties—from the cacophony of tearful welcomes, more tears to wash away their pain, and from the sweat of labor and celebration—to simply catch their breath.

"Jack?" Ashi asked. They were seated on a hill beneath a vast tree with branches that twisted diagonally as if to mock the curve of the wind's direction. Jack turned to her and noted her tone; one usually so strong and assured—unabashed and unashamed even while she explained her heritage to his parents only hours ago—and wondered why it now carried such a quiet quality.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," she continued. "When I was trapped... by Aku." Ashi eyes met him briefly and she turned away. "You... said something to me."

Blood rushed to his face in remembrance. The light of the moon was cruel in its brightness, for he could not hide it. Ashi's voice broke the silence once more, even quieter than before.

"Did you mean it?"

"What?" he whispered.

"It's just," she started. "I'm sorry, this is stupid." She attempted to laugh yet the sound of it came out like something broken. "It's just... no one has ever said that to me and I... well, I'm sorry," she said again. She looked up from where her eyes had been focused on the ground. "I can tell how uncomfortable you are."

"No!" Jack said. "Those were, uh... that is something I've never _said_ before. Romantically, that is." He closed his mouth with the hopes to save himself the embarrassment. His eyes met hers and neither of them could look away.

There were a dozen things he could say at that moment. He could spill his heart, divulge his secrets to her. He could tell her how dearly he trusted her with his life; how grateful he was that she stood by him and returned him to his past to fulfill his destiny; how the sun seemed to shine brighter, the sounds of life sweeter when he was with her. How he would do his absolute best to make sure she never felt as lonely and unloved as her childhood once made her out to be. But the only words he could say at that moment were simple. Yet powerful.

"I meant it."

"Really?" Ashi's eyebrows lifted. "That's good." A quiet laughed escaped her. There were a dozen things she could say. How lucky she felt to be spared by a former enemy; how thankful she was to have seen the light of hope, the beauty of the world thanks to him. How scared she'd been of herself in that awful demonic form and how happy she was that he was not hurt. Yet the only words she could say at that moment were simple. Yet powerful.

"I love you, too."

The cool air of the night did nothing to ease the heat in their cheeks. Their gazes towards each other were bright and earnest like the stars that shone in the sky above them. Ashi's eyes flitted between his eyes and his lips. Only one more question separated the two.

"Jack?" Ashi drew her bottom lip between her teeth, making it inadvertently difficult for Jack to focus on anything else. It suddenly occurred to both of them that a moment like this had not happened since well... _the last time._

Ashi spoke with receding hesitation.

"Will you kiss me again?"

And not another word was spoken.

Jack and Ashi laughed quietly as their noses bumped together in eagerness. The wind carried the sound through the air, through the trees and settled, leaving the couple in absolute peace and quiet as their lips met in gentle touch under the even gentler light of the moon.

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 _Author's Note_

Happy Jashi week everyone! One this day, one year ago, Jashi became canon and I became a useless heap of fangirl. I'll be off watching the video of the 'big kiss' five hundred times today while I try to write for other prompts. Aiming for shorter drabbles this year!

I am so excited for another year! I can't wait to see what other fiction and art is in store!

Jashi forever, babe. XD


	2. Day Two: Table for Two

Jashi Week 2018

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Day Two

 _Table for Two_

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Summary: It takes a while for Ashi to warm up to different foods.

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For the entirety of Ashi's life, food was only seen as a thing of sustenance. While the area in which she grew up was not rich in diversity of food, she was certainly taught some rules surrounding it. A means of focus in the uncertain world she and her sisters had been set upon when their training was finally complete. The rules outlined certain foods to eat and certain ones to avoid. Meat for its muscle strengthening proteins. Eggs from foul and green, leafy vegetables to maintain sharp eyesight. Avoid sweets and alcohol as the sugars can slow your body down.

Ashi had long become accustomed to sticking to the basics. Growing up, the most bountiful source of live meat was groundhog and other rodents so she and her sisters thought it smart to stick to what felt familiar. Small game like duck and rabbit became favorites. Huge beasts, while tempting, made them wary, especially if said beast gave off a particularly odd scent or seemed to be colored unnaturally. Seafood appeared downright poisonous. So when Jack offered Ashi an odd, purple colored... _thing_ to eat in the sprawling marketplace at the edge of the desert, she was daunted at best. Slightly disgusted at worst.

But times had changed since then. Quite literally. She had traveled the world and across time itself with Jack, helping to rebuild his home—a once thriving kingdom now broken under the vicious palm of a demon who once dared to assert himself as her father. And with that peace came relaxation. And with relaxation came openness. And curiosity.

"Thank you, thank you," Ashi spoke as politely as she could, however muffled, to the one serving their dinner. Jack watched in fondness and amusement as his bride-to-be gorged herself on her fourth helping of sushi.

Needless to say, the brightly colored and sharp scented meats that came from the oceans were now among her favorite foods.

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 _Author's Note_

Short and sweet. Thank you all so much for your kind words! See you tomorrow!


	3. Day Three: Love to Hate You

Jashi Week 2018

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Day Three

Love to Hate You

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 _It was an accident._ He swore up and down that he never intentionally meant to harm her. In fact, he was pleading profusely, trying to pat her shirt and neck down with spare napkins but she didn't let him near. She was yelling, too, calling him words that effectively made him blush even more so than from the embarrassment.

The moments leading up to this were so much more peaceful. He'd heard his name called for his favorite drink—a white tea brewed with orange peels, basil, and hibiscus petals—and he'd thanked the barista graciously. He immediately looked back down at his book in anticipation. Just a few more chapters left until the exciting conclusion. He hadn't sensed anyone come up behind him and his book blocked his field of vision. Needless to say, turning around and running straight into a young, messy haired woman was quite a surprise.

And quite the disaster.

She screamed as the hot liquid ran down her shirt, dropped her handbag and her phone, and nearly slipped and fell backwards trying to get away from him. She'd quickly manage to recover enough of her composure to shove his hands back in anger. "Un-fucking-believable," she seethed. "After _everything_ that has happened to me on this _asshole_ of a day, in this _asshole_ of an airport, I have to deal with yet another _asshole."_

Jack winced at the woman's words. "I'm sorry!' he said for the umpteenth time. "Please, how can I make it up to you?"

The young woman glared at him for a few seconds before redirecting her gaze to his book. She snatched up the front cover to get a better look and scowled.

"The main character's dead."

She threw the book back to him and stormed off with her luggage in tow. Jack stood ridged in shock as he watched her go. He turned to the barista with a nervous glance. She wore a grimaced expression and shrugged. He sighed heavily, confirming his suspicions that the woman had been right about the book.

Jack did not favor himself a crude man; he prided himself on his manners and clean vocabulary. But after the whirlwind that had just transpired, he felt it alright to let a _little bit_ of uncouth behavior slip through the cracks.

"Damn her."

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He ordered a new drink and sat down at a small table to finish his reading but suddenly felt exhausted. He was now in no rush to find out what had transpired to reach the (spoiled) ending. He decided to pack up his things and walk across the terminal to a bookshop to purchase something else. Unfortunately, he'd ended up spending more time than he had anticipated—a usual occurrence when he found himself in a bookstore—and had to lightly jog to his gate to listen for his boarding group.

He boarded the plane with ease, happy to have a few other books that would occupy his time for such a long journey. It was his favorite time of the year—Christmas—and he was eager to see his home. He thought about how much he missed the love of his family; the scents of a home-cooked meal. Warmth filled his body in quiet anticipation. In just a few short hours, he would be home.

The warm feelings quickly left him when he saw a familiar head of hair down the aisle. His heart sank when she lifted her eyes to meet his. He watched as the young woman scowled and discreetly lifted her fingers in an obscene gesture. He rolled his eyes and muttered. _"Crazy woman."_ He felt the gods must have been mocking him, having put them on the same flight. It was just a coincidence, he reasoned, as it was one of the last outbound flights of the night for the usually bustling airport. Besides, it wasn't like he had to interact with her again.

That is until he continued inching forward to his seat. He checked his boarding pass in disbelief. He must have read it wrong. Row 10, Seat C—an aisle seat so he could stretch out his long legs during the flight. He kept looking down and up, down and up, until he'd finally reached his destination. There she was, her scowl set even deeper into her features, in Row 10, Seat B.

'In just a few short hours, I'll be home,' he'd thought. But that was before when he'd be alone to enjoy his reading in peace. But sitting next to a temperamental, foul-mouthed woman (who clearly looked like she could hold a grudge) on whom he'd spilled boiling hot tea on (hence, the grudge)? This was a non-stop, thirteen-hour flight.

Those 'few short hours' no longer felt so short.

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 _Author's Note_

I'm so happy that I was able to write something for today! This was a prompt that I thought about writing for Christmas but never got around to it. Merry Christmas in May!

As always, thank you for reading! You might be wondering, what happens next? Well...

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 _Bonus_

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Four hours into the flight and the cabin was left in relative darkness, it's passengers hoping to catch some sleep on the late night flight. A middle-aged woman dressed in a black vest and red kerchief minded her steps as she made her way to the lavatories to address a number of passenger complaints. An angry couple had been bickering by the bathrooms and now neither of them had yet to come out. She sighed heavily, knowingly, as she reached one of the doors.

"Congratulations," she spoke softly. The telling noises beyond the door ceased. "You broke the law in the most fun way. Welcome to the Mile High Club." She rapped on the door impatiently when she heard no response. "Now get the hell out."

The door opened rapidly and the flight attendant rolled her eyes at the disheveled, though thankfully fully dressed, man and woman. That was good, she thought, at least it wouldn't resort to them being arrested.

The man looked at her with cheeks as red as her scarf and stammered: "No, no, we weren't—that's not! We were just—"

"I know all about it, sweetheart," she said sarcastically. "Let me guess. Honeymoon?"

The young man winced but did not answer.

"Whatever," the flight attendant responded. "I don't care. Now go take your seats."

She escorted the couple back to their row and watched as they slumped down (as much as they could) into their seats in shame. The younger woman held her hands up to her face and the flight attendant watched in mild curiosity as her shoulders began to shake.

The woman brought her hands down, wearing an incredulous grin. "I can not _believe_ the night I am having," she said. She turned to her seatmate and reached out her hand to grab his. "Merry Christmas, Jack."

The young man laughed along with her. The flight attendant rolled her eyes once more and continued down the aisle. She could hear the man softly reply.

"Merry Christmas, Ashi."


End file.
